Monday, June 12, 2017

2 soldiers, 2 rebels dead in separate encounters

Two soldiers were killed in an encounter between forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the new People’s Army, the Joint Task Force Haribon said Sunday.

Maj. Ezra Balagtey, spokesperson of the Eastern Mindanao Command, said soldiers from the 16th infantry battalion prevented an attack by consolidating members of the NPA. Another six were wounded.

The firefight occurred at Sitio Bajada, Paradise Embac, Paquibato District, Davao City early morning, June 11 and that the AFP still has to inform the families of the killed soldiers.

The troops were responding to a reported consolidation of NPAs in Paquibato District, Balagtey said.

The troops were able to recover one M653 Colt AR18 with serial number 127538 with one magazine, two jungle bags, one civilian bag, electrical wire; and other belongings.

Meantime two suspected communist guerillas operating in North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces in south and central Mindanao were killed after engaging the government troops in a running gun battle in a village in Makilala, North CotabatoSaturday.

Lt. Silver Belvis, spokesman for the 39th Infantry Battalion, identified the slain New Peoples’ Army (NPA) rebels as a certain Ka Lupe, platoon leader of Front 72 of the NPA sub-regional committee in Southern Mindanao Region (SRC-SMR), and a certain Ka Radin, also of the same group.

Belvis said their troops proceeded to Barangay Malasila just few hours after they confirmed the presence of at least 30 rebels in the area.

Their troops exchanged fires against the NPAs for about an hour and later the rebels withdrew to the southwest portion of Makilala town, he added.